Lafayette Family Law Attorneys Resolve Challenging Issues

Highly responsive representation addresses your concerns

When you are facing divorce or dealing with another urgent family law issue, your attorney should do more than provide legal advice. At Goforth & Lilley, we provide attentive and highly responsive counsel so you can have greater peace of mind. We thoroughly explain the law to you and answer all your questions. Then, throughout the legal process, we keep you constantly updated on the progress of your case, while quickly returning all phone calls, emails and text messages. In many cases, we can resolve even the most complex family law issues in negotiations or mediation, avoiding the need for trial. But if trial proves necessary, you can trust us to go to court prepared and to fight aggressively to protect your rights.

Divorce actions available in Louisiana

Because Louisiana has two types of marriages — covenant and non-covenant — the state has two distinct sets of rules for divorce. To obtain a divorce from a covenant marriage, the couple must attend counseling and a petitioner must prove one of the following circumstances:

The other spouse has committed adultery.

The other spouse has committed a felony and has been sentenced to death or imprisonment at hard labor.

The other spouse has abandoned the marital home for one year and refuses to return.

The other spouse has physically or sexually abused the petitioner or a child of one of the spouses.

The spouses have been living separate and apart continuously without reconciliation for two years.

After a judgment of separation from bed and board, a couple without children have been living separate and apart for one year, or a couple with children have been living separate and apart for 18 months.

The rules to dissolve a non-covenant marriage are simpler. A petitioner must prove one of the following:

The other spouse has committed adultery.

The other spouse has committed a felony and has been sentenced to death or imprisonment at hard labor.

The other spouse has abandoned the marital home for one year and refuses to return.

The other spouse has physically or sexually abused the petitioner or a child of one of the spouses.

The spouses have been living separate and apart for two years.

The other spouse’s habitual intemperance, excesses, cruel treatment or outrages make living together insupportable.

Louisiana requires that at least one of the spouses must have been a resident of the state for six months prior to the filing for divorce. The state also has a waiting period of six months for childless couples and one year for couples with children before a court can finalize the divorce.

Capable and supportive management of other family law issues

The divorce process requires you to settle numerous ancillary issues or take them to trial, including:

Alimony — Dependent spouses may be eligible for temporary maintenance during divorce proceedings. Judges must consider various statutory factors when deciding whether to award alimony after marriage, as well as how much and in what form.

Child custody — Judges consider various factors when deciding if parents should share custody of their children or if one parent should have sole custody. Parental rights weigh in the decision, but the overriding consideration for the court is the best interest of the child.

Child support — Louisiana uses an “income shares” model to determine child support obligations. In addition to the incomes of both parents, how much time a child lives with each of the parents is a major consideration.

Division of property — Louisiana is a community property state. Spouses are entitled to keep all of their separate property but must divide the assets and debts of the marital estate evenly.

Child support modification and enforcement — We represent parties seeking modifications in child support, as well as the parties opposing the motion. We assist clients with disputes over the enforcement of child support orders.

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements — Our attorneys help engaged clients and clients who are already married secure their property rights in the event of divorce with clear, concise and enforceable marital agreements.

Paternity — We represent all interested parties (men, women and children) in actions to determine paternity. These actions are often the precursor to determinations of child support and visitation rights.

When you entrust your family law issues to us, our experienced and knowledgeable attorneys provide a candid assessment, offer trustworthy advice and seek the best possible outcome for you and your family.

Contact a highly responsive family law attorney serving Lafayette, LA

Goforth & Lilley is a trustworthy Lafayette law firm managing family law disputes and divorce actions in the Lafayette area. To learn how we can help with your case, schedule a free consultation and case evaluation. Call us today at 337-446-4239 or contact our office online.

Goforth & Lilley is located in Lafayette, LA and serves clients in and around Lafayette, Carencro, Scott, Duson, Youngsville, Broussard, Milton and Lafayette County.

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